Google is tracking all of our activities (iam worried)

Discussion in 'Google' started by link_dev, Sep 7, 2008.

  1. #1
    Let me give you my very recent experience.
    I have recently searched for 'Email marketing' solutions and finally signed up for iContact.com trial version. After that, whichever website i visit, i see iContact.com advrts via google adsense. I visited both US and Indian websites and this advrt from iContact followed me for almost 3 days on all those websites.

    Later on, i was google maps to get driving directions for Radisson hotel in MA. I am still continuing to see Advrts from Radisson hotel on all web pages iam browsing.

    I have seen this behavior even when i do a product search and surprisingly i see emails from these products in my INbox. This happened on Yahoo search.

    Search Engines are tracking our activities, no doubt, but they are doing it excessively. HOw far they can go?

    Did any one notice this type of behavior?
    To what extent should i be worried?
    What if i do a search on sexual content on Google/Yahoo?
    Will i be followed wherever i go? Will i receive emails too?
    Thanks
    link dev
     
    link_dev, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  2. smg

    smg Well-Known Member

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    #2
    Yep, they'll be watching us all over the globe !!
     
    smg, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  3. MikePrice

    MikePrice Well-Known Member

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    #3
    Wow... I never thought that deep. If it is true, so google is spider us all the time.
    How about after you clear your browser cookies? Please try and let me know the result.
     
    MikePrice, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  4. Aquarezz

    Aquarezz Notable Member

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    #4
    It has nothing to do with cookies, they spy your IP, what your IP searched on their site etc ;)
     
    Aquarezz, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  5. mintoj

    mintoj Peon

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    #5
    IP's are usually dynamically allocated, unless you have a fixed IP!
     
    mintoj, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  6. Aquarezz

    Aquarezz Notable Member

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    #6
    Yep, I know, but there are a lot people having a fixed IP (like me)
    It sucks but yeah, I'm not the only one :)
     
    Aquarezz, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  7. James_P

    James_P Peon

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    #7
    Of course they do. If they didn't, we'd still have piss-poor search results. G will continue to collect data, and through this, there's no limit to how they can improve the algorithm.

    ...It has everything to do with cookies.
     
    James_P, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  8. mintoj

    mintoj Peon

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    #8
    Quite right James :)
     
    mintoj, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  9. link_dev

    link_dev Peon

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    #9
    google picks up several variables and then collects the data. Setting cookies is just one of those variables.

    If google can colect data to this extent from Internet Explorer, FireFox, Mozilla then you can imagine what google can do with google chrome browser.

    It collects our data and sells it to marketers in different packages.
    One such package is to create a lasting impression about a partcular product, so that user retains/remembers the product for a longer period.

    In my case, google made sure that i didn't forget about icontact and Radisson hotel for atleast 3-4 days after i used their services.
    Icontact kept on appearing on we pages and requested to upgrade/signup

    This forum post is about speading awareness and steps we can take to protect ourselves.
    I will be embarassed, if i get emails on viagra after i attepeted a related search term on google/yahoo. My wife does have access to my emails and she does understand how internet marketing works. :eek:

    Are we loosing privacy?
     
    link_dev, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  10. Hyphen

    Hyphen Well-Known Member

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    #10
    Hahaha...
    Would Google really risk doing this and being called out on it? It's already a multi-billion dollar empire, I don't think they want the world against them now.
     
    Hyphen, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  11. mintoj

    mintoj Peon

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    #11
    How could Google possibly know your e-mail address.. Your'e getting paranoid for nothing. They were tracking you using a cookie which probably expired after 3 days. Sites do this all the time!
     
    mintoj, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  12. Hyphen

    Hyphen Well-Known Member

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    #12
    Even if Google was doing this, they just released a feature in their new browser to prevent all this. Incognito!
     
    Hyphen, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  13. hollinger

    hollinger Peon

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    #13
    Government owns us and now google too?
     
    hollinger, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  14. link_dev

    link_dev Peon

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    #14
    They absolutely know about email ids. Atleast this is true for Yahoo as i did receive emails soon after i did a product search.
    First of all, our email ids are not encrypted on most of the sites we login. Google/Yahoo do have the data on their respective members and we are logged into them all the time. Don't you think they know who you are?

    Email marketing has matured a lot. You need not subscribe to anything to get spam emails about products.
    --link dev
     
    link_dev, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  15. mintoj

    mintoj Peon

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    #15
    Yep.. you got me!.. this thread is just to promote your sig link, right! Nobody can be that much of a dum* As*.
     
    mintoj, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  16. expiringdomains

    expiringdomains Peon

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    #16
    Unless and untill you are not doing something wrong which violates the law, you need nor worry.

    Let Google track your activities it will be for your good trust me.
     
    expiringdomains, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  17. Joe M.

    Joe M. Banned

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    #17
    I feel quite badly about Google spying on us.
    They shouldnt be able to do that.
     
    Joe M., Sep 7, 2008 IP
  18. Lisha Christy

    Lisha Christy Banned

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    #18
    I am also thinking the same.
    They are watching all of our activities via Internet.
     
    Lisha Christy, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  19. link_dev

    link_dev Peon

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    #19
    Thanks for your response. Do you have anything to respond to the actual topic? I would appreciate, if you can talk on the topic.

     
    link_dev, Sep 7, 2008 IP
  20. godsofchaos

    godsofchaos Peon

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    #20
    Wow thats freaking awesome and scary. Haven't looked at it so closely but I surely will from now on. Will let you all know.
     
    godsofchaos, Sep 7, 2008 IP
    1 person likes this.